To celebrate the publication of his novel, Black Jesus, Simone Felice will be making select appearances around the UK this coming spring. In venues chosen for their intimacy, Felice will recite short passages from the story and sing treasured tunes from both The Felice Brothers and The Duke & The King songbooks, as well as new, unreleased material.
Black Jesus is a tale told with wicked humour and haunting lyricism. Felice digs for innocence, for the strength of spirit and beauty that can lie in the unlikeliest of places. Part love story, part protest at the broken promises lying at the heart of the American Dream; this novel is a passionate, twisted hymn to the marginalised and forgotten. Here is the story of Lionel White, a young Marine shipped home after being blinded in action. Back in upstate New York, Lionel is left to battle his nightmares and a growing dependence on painkillers. Then Gloria appears, a beaten up dancer from the other side of America, fleeing darkness and violence of a different kind. SimoneFelice.com
shows/events
*
Apr 9
St. Ann's Chursh
Manchester, UNITED KINGDOM
*
Apr 12
St. Bonaventure's Parish Club
Bristol, UNITED KINGDOM
*
Apr 13
The Attic
Winchester, UNITED KINGDOM
*
Apr 15
The Haymakers, Cambridge
Cambridge, Cambridges, UNITED KINGDOM
*
Apr 16
The Chattery,
Swansea, Wales , GB
*
Apr 18
The Shipping Forecast
Liverpool, UNITED KINGDOM
*
Apr 20
Brudenall
Leeds, UNITED KINGDOM
*
Apr 21
The Cluny: Ouseburn Warehouse Workshops
Newcastle, UNITED KINGDOM
*
Apr 22
Òran Mór
Glasgow, UNITED KINGDOM
*
Apr 26
The Glee Club
Birmingham, GB, UNITED KINGDOM
*
Apr 27
Nottingham Glee Club
Nottingham, UNITED KINGDOM
*
May 2
Bush Hall
London, United Kingdom
Friday, January 28, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
Review: The Felice Brothers at Mass Moca
Link
With so many disappointments in our daily lives – from government to banks, lawyers, greed, media, celebrity culture, gun violence and that unsustainable, bad idea of globalization… it is nice to be face-to-face for a couple of hours with an experience that does not disappoint in any way.
Saturday night’s concert by the Felice Brothers at MASS MoCA in North Adams did not disappoint – at any moment for any reason. Louder, faster and more raucous than anything they do on record, it would have been hard to not leave this performance less than totally impressed.
It is not just all fun at a Felice show. It gets pretty edgy, too, and it presents some pretty seriously twisted scenarios for you to absorb. Seemingly autobiographical, these songs present some narrations that no one person could have lived through by themselves, nor probably any band of fellows like this group. They simply have great imaginations and stories to tell.
While their songs sound simple on the first listen, one layer below the surface there are all sorts of levels of abstractions and surrealism, even though the band does not have one iota of outward aesthetic snobbishness about them. They are as real as real can be, but they write songs that hit the mark in both conscious and subconscious ways. Their songs resonate, and their live performance did even more so.
God, are they great live. What great balance. Two of them seem like they maybe are drugged to slow down appropriately, while the other three move and play with constant frenetic energy. And how beautiful James Felice’s accordion is at exactly the right moments in so many of the songs.
Between songs, Ian Felice stated, “I can’t believe we sit in our rooms and write these songs, and then people like you come to hear them. That’s amazing.” I believe he really thinks that, and I think it’s part of the magic.
Yes, some think they are like Bob Dylan. Let’s not hang that kiss of death on them. Okay, “The Basement Tapes” come to mind, as does the Band and their way with the blending, layering and colliding of instruments and sounds, with the distinctive and heartfelt vocals and abstract lyrics that changed rock and roll forever. Remember when “Music From Big Pink” sounded like nothing ever before it?
It is probably not a coincidence that the Felice homestead in Palenville, NY is just a short jaunt over Ridge Road to West Saugerties and then a little farther on to Woodstock. With only Levon left there to the south of them, and Bob, Van and Rick departed, these sounds – with origins under the shadow of the Plattekill and Hunter Mountains – take off where the others before left off.
However, make no mistake, the Felice Brothers seem to be the real deal, uniquely their own, reflecting exactly where they come from and the lives of those around them. They are no copycats. These songs and ideas are too good to be copies. And they do not sing about how awful success and a little fame is, like so many musical talents with no ideas beyond themselves do.
About 500-plus fans were treated to something really special at MASS MoCA. They got to live with the Felice Brothers for a couple of hours and hear about the world in real terms – all loud and chaotic – fraught with love, emotion, death, confessions and vulnerability at the same time.
And when the band finally played “Frankie’s Gun,” as their third encore and final song on the night, they torn it down and deconstructed it, thundering through it to such a drastic degree that it was a perfect ending to the evening. The crowd needed no more after that.
With so many disappointments in our daily lives – from government to banks, lawyers, greed, media, celebrity culture, gun violence and that unsustainable, bad idea of globalization… it is nice to be face-to-face for a couple of hours with an experience that does not disappoint in any way.
Saturday night’s concert by the Felice Brothers at MASS MoCA in North Adams did not disappoint – at any moment for any reason. Louder, faster and more raucous than anything they do on record, it would have been hard to not leave this performance less than totally impressed.
It is not just all fun at a Felice show. It gets pretty edgy, too, and it presents some pretty seriously twisted scenarios for you to absorb. Seemingly autobiographical, these songs present some narrations that no one person could have lived through by themselves, nor probably any band of fellows like this group. They simply have great imaginations and stories to tell.
While their songs sound simple on the first listen, one layer below the surface there are all sorts of levels of abstractions and surrealism, even though the band does not have one iota of outward aesthetic snobbishness about them. They are as real as real can be, but they write songs that hit the mark in both conscious and subconscious ways. Their songs resonate, and their live performance did even more so.
God, are they great live. What great balance. Two of them seem like they maybe are drugged to slow down appropriately, while the other three move and play with constant frenetic energy. And how beautiful James Felice’s accordion is at exactly the right moments in so many of the songs.
Between songs, Ian Felice stated, “I can’t believe we sit in our rooms and write these songs, and then people like you come to hear them. That’s amazing.” I believe he really thinks that, and I think it’s part of the magic.
Yes, some think they are like Bob Dylan. Let’s not hang that kiss of death on them. Okay, “The Basement Tapes” come to mind, as does the Band and their way with the blending, layering and colliding of instruments and sounds, with the distinctive and heartfelt vocals and abstract lyrics that changed rock and roll forever. Remember when “Music From Big Pink” sounded like nothing ever before it?
It is probably not a coincidence that the Felice homestead in Palenville, NY is just a short jaunt over Ridge Road to West Saugerties and then a little farther on to Woodstock. With only Levon left there to the south of them, and Bob, Van and Rick departed, these sounds – with origins under the shadow of the Plattekill and Hunter Mountains – take off where the others before left off.
However, make no mistake, the Felice Brothers seem to be the real deal, uniquely their own, reflecting exactly where they come from and the lives of those around them. They are no copycats. These songs and ideas are too good to be copies. And they do not sing about how awful success and a little fame is, like so many musical talents with no ideas beyond themselves do.
About 500-plus fans were treated to something really special at MASS MoCA. They got to live with the Felice Brothers for a couple of hours and hear about the world in real terms – all loud and chaotic – fraught with love, emotion, death, confessions and vulnerability at the same time.
And when the band finally played “Frankie’s Gun,” as their third encore and final song on the night, they torn it down and deconstructed it, thundering through it to such a drastic degree that it was a perfect ending to the evening. The crowd needed no more after that.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
The Felice Brothers heading to New Zealand
Link
Grassroots Festival Second Announcement
Thursday, 20th January 2011 8:53AM
The brand new Grassroots Festival has released it's second and final line-up announcement and if you thought BB King and Elvis Costello couldn't be topped - how bout adding in the legendary Grace Jones!
Here are all the second announcement acts:
Tony Joe White (USA), Imogen Heap (UK), Lulo Reinhardt (GER), Felice Brothers (USA), Eugene Hideaway Bridges (USA), Flip Grater (NZ), Hammond Gamble (NZ), Shona Laing (NZ), Doug Jerebine & Billy T.K. SR (NZ), Heart Attack Alley (NZ), Julia Deans (NZ), Darcy Perry (NZ), Caitlin Smith (NZ), Riverhead Slide (NZ), The Warratahs (NZ), The Bads (NZ) and The Thomas Oliver Band (NZ).
They join the already announced:
BB King (USA), Elvis Costello & The Imposters (USA), Ben Harper and Relentless7 (USA), Rodrigo Y Gabriela (Mexico), Eric Bibb (USA), Paul Ubana Jones (NZ), Ruthie Foster (USA), Cairo Knife Fight (NZ), Ticket (NZ), Don McGlashan (NZ) and Sola Rosa (NZ).
GRASSROOTS : PUHINUI RESERVE
Saturday 23rd & Sunday 24th April
Tickets on sale now - full details below.
Press Release:
In a summer that has seen more international and local talent perform for New Zealand than ever before, the inaugural GrassRoots Festival closes our Summer 2011 with a must see 2 day line up on Saturday 23rd & Sunday 24th April at the stunning Puhinui Reserve.
This two-day festival will bring together some of the world’s most renowned artists as well as a raft of local acts across a multitude of genres whilst still having its core ethos firmly grounded in blues and roots based music. Thirty artists on two stages over the two days will launch GrassRoots – The New Zealand Blues and Roots All Music Festival 2011.
Chugg Entertainment are thrilled to announce that joining the already incredible line-up are the phenomenal Grace Jones (USA), Tony Joe White (USA), Imogen Heap (UK), Lulo Reinhardt (GER), Felice Brothers (USA), Eugene Hideaway Bridges (USA), Flip Grater (NZ), Hammond Gamble (NZ), Shona Laing (NZ), Doug Jerebine & Billy T.K. SR (NZ), Heart Attack Alley (NZ), Julia Deans (NZ), Darcy Perry (NZ), Caitlin Smith (NZ), Riverhead Slide (NZ), The Warratahs (NZ), The Bads (NZ) and The Thomas Oliver Band (NZ).
Artists announced earlier include the fabulous BB King (USA), Elvis Costello & The Imposters (USA), Ben Harper and Relentless7 (USA), Rodrigo Y Gabriela (Mexico), Eric Bibb (USA), Paul Ubana Jones (NZ), Ruthie Foster (USA), Cairo Knife Fight (NZ), Ticket (NZ), Don McGlashan (NZ) and Sola Rosa (NZ).
GrassRoots is bringing the music to New Zealand for Easter. Do not miss your chance to say that you were there first. Please scroll down for artist performance days.
TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
GRASSROOTS : PUHINUI RESERVE
Saturday 23rd & Sunday 24th April
Ticket options include Single day, 2-Day with VIP & camping options. For more info visit the Grass Roots site.
grassrootsfestival.co.nz
Grassroots Festival Second Announcement
Thursday, 20th January 2011 8:53AM
The brand new Grassroots Festival has released it's second and final line-up announcement and if you thought BB King and Elvis Costello couldn't be topped - how bout adding in the legendary Grace Jones!
Here are all the second announcement acts:
Tony Joe White (USA), Imogen Heap (UK), Lulo Reinhardt (GER), Felice Brothers (USA), Eugene Hideaway Bridges (USA), Flip Grater (NZ), Hammond Gamble (NZ), Shona Laing (NZ), Doug Jerebine & Billy T.K. SR (NZ), Heart Attack Alley (NZ), Julia Deans (NZ), Darcy Perry (NZ), Caitlin Smith (NZ), Riverhead Slide (NZ), The Warratahs (NZ), The Bads (NZ) and The Thomas Oliver Band (NZ).
They join the already announced:
BB King (USA), Elvis Costello & The Imposters (USA), Ben Harper and Relentless7 (USA), Rodrigo Y Gabriela (Mexico), Eric Bibb (USA), Paul Ubana Jones (NZ), Ruthie Foster (USA), Cairo Knife Fight (NZ), Ticket (NZ), Don McGlashan (NZ) and Sola Rosa (NZ).
GRASSROOTS : PUHINUI RESERVE
Saturday 23rd & Sunday 24th April
Tickets on sale now - full details below.
Press Release:
In a summer that has seen more international and local talent perform for New Zealand than ever before, the inaugural GrassRoots Festival closes our Summer 2011 with a must see 2 day line up on Saturday 23rd & Sunday 24th April at the stunning Puhinui Reserve.
This two-day festival will bring together some of the world’s most renowned artists as well as a raft of local acts across a multitude of genres whilst still having its core ethos firmly grounded in blues and roots based music. Thirty artists on two stages over the two days will launch GrassRoots – The New Zealand Blues and Roots All Music Festival 2011.
Chugg Entertainment are thrilled to announce that joining the already incredible line-up are the phenomenal Grace Jones (USA), Tony Joe White (USA), Imogen Heap (UK), Lulo Reinhardt (GER), Felice Brothers (USA), Eugene Hideaway Bridges (USA), Flip Grater (NZ), Hammond Gamble (NZ), Shona Laing (NZ), Doug Jerebine & Billy T.K. SR (NZ), Heart Attack Alley (NZ), Julia Deans (NZ), Darcy Perry (NZ), Caitlin Smith (NZ), Riverhead Slide (NZ), The Warratahs (NZ), The Bads (NZ) and The Thomas Oliver Band (NZ).
Artists announced earlier include the fabulous BB King (USA), Elvis Costello & The Imposters (USA), Ben Harper and Relentless7 (USA), Rodrigo Y Gabriela (Mexico), Eric Bibb (USA), Paul Ubana Jones (NZ), Ruthie Foster (USA), Cairo Knife Fight (NZ), Ticket (NZ), Don McGlashan (NZ) and Sola Rosa (NZ).
GrassRoots is bringing the music to New Zealand for Easter. Do not miss your chance to say that you were there first. Please scroll down for artist performance days.
TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
GRASSROOTS : PUHINUI RESERVE
Saturday 23rd & Sunday 24th April
Ticket options include Single day, 2-Day with VIP & camping options. For more info visit the Grass Roots site.
grassrootsfestival.co.nz
The Felice Brothers add Coachella to SxSw
Link
The official 2011 Coachella lineup was released Tuesday night, following a wild string of online predictions and fake posters that began infiltrating the web during the first month of 2011.
Rumors have been circulating for months; in fact, many speculations began the day after Coachella 2010. There was talk of Daft Punk, The White Striples, Coldplay…even the Rolling Stones were rumored to have been offered $5 million to be headliners for the festival. And while we won’t be seeing Mick Jagger strutting the stage this year, the organizers of Coachella have promised us a pretty sweet lineup for 2011, with welcome surprises like Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, and Mumford & Sons. A complete list, as announced by Goldenvoice (the festival’s promoter) follows:
!!!, 12th Planet, Afrojack, Alf Alpha, Andy C, Angus and Julia Stone, Animal Collective, Arcade Fire, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, A-Trak, Axwell, Beardyman, Best Coast, Big Audio Dynamite, Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears, Bloody Beetroots Death Crew 77, Bomba Estereo, Boys Noize, Brandon Flowers, Brandt Brauer Frick, Breakage, Bright Eyes, Broken Social Scene, Cage the Elephant, Caifanes, Caspa, Cee Lo Green, Chromeo, Chuckie, City and Colour, Clare Maguire, Cold Cave, Cold War Kids, Crystal Castles, CSS, Cults, Cut Copy, Daedelus, Death From Above 1979, Delorean, Delta Sprirt, DJ Hype, DJ Kentaro, DJ Marky, DJ Zinc, Duck Sauce, Duran Duran, EE, Elbow, Electric Touch, Eliza Doolittle, Ellie Goulding, Emicida, Empire of the Sun, Erick Morillo, Erykah Badu, Excision, Fat Freddy’s Drop, Fedde Le Grand, Fistful of Mercy, Flogging Molly, Foals, Foster the People, Francis and the Lights, Freelance Whales, fun., G.Q., Gayngs, Glasser, Gogol Bordello, Good Old War, Gord Downie, Goth Trad, Green Velvet, Gypsy and the Cat, HEALTH, Here We Go Magic, High Contrast, Hurts, Interpol, Jack Beats, Jack’s Mannequin, Jakes, Jenny and Johnny, Jimmy Eat World, Joachim Garraud, Joy Orbison, Kanye West, Kele, Kings of Leon, Klaxons, Kode9, Kyle Hall, Laidback Luke, Leftfield, Lightning Bolt, Lil’ B, Lorn, Los Bunkers, Magnetic Man, Mariachi El Bronx, Marina and the Diamonds, Mary Anne Hobbs, MEN, Menomena, Monarchy, Mount Kimbie, Moving Units, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Mumford & Sons, Nas & Damian Marley, Neon Trees, New Pants, Nosaj Thing, OFF!, OFWGKTA, Omar Rodriguez Lopez, One Day as a Lion, Ozomatli, Paul van Dyk, Phantogram, Phosphorescent, PJ Harvey, Plan B, Ramadanman, Raphael Saadiq, Ras G, Ratatat, Riva Starr, Robyn, Roska, Rye Rye, Sander Kleinenberg, Sasha, SBTRKT, Scala & Kolacny Bros., Scissor Sisters, She Wants Revenge, Shpongle, Skrillex, Sleigh Bells, Steve Angello, Sven Vath, Take, Tame Impala, Terror Danjah, Thao and the Get Down Stay Down, The Aquabats, The Black Keys, The Chemical Brothers, The Drums, The Felice Brothers, The Henry Clay People, The Joy Formidable, The Kills, The London Suede, The Love Language, The Morning Benders, The National, The New Pornographers, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, The Presets, The Radio Dept., The Rural Alberta Advantage, The Strokes, The Swell Season, The Tallest Man on Earth, The Twelves, Thunderball, Tinie Tempah, Titus Andronicus, Tokimonsta, Trampled by Turtles, Trentemoller, Twin Shadow, Two Door Cinema Club, Warpaint, Wire, Wiz Khalifa, Yacht, Yelle and Zed Bias.
The official 2011 Coachella lineup was released Tuesday night, following a wild string of online predictions and fake posters that began infiltrating the web during the first month of 2011.
Rumors have been circulating for months; in fact, many speculations began the day after Coachella 2010. There was talk of Daft Punk, The White Striples, Coldplay…even the Rolling Stones were rumored to have been offered $5 million to be headliners for the festival. And while we won’t be seeing Mick Jagger strutting the stage this year, the organizers of Coachella have promised us a pretty sweet lineup for 2011, with welcome surprises like Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, and Mumford & Sons. A complete list, as announced by Goldenvoice (the festival’s promoter) follows:
!!!, 12th Planet, Afrojack, Alf Alpha, Andy C, Angus and Julia Stone, Animal Collective, Arcade Fire, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, A-Trak, Axwell, Beardyman, Best Coast, Big Audio Dynamite, Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears, Bloody Beetroots Death Crew 77, Bomba Estereo, Boys Noize, Brandon Flowers, Brandt Brauer Frick, Breakage, Bright Eyes, Broken Social Scene, Cage the Elephant, Caifanes, Caspa, Cee Lo Green, Chromeo, Chuckie, City and Colour, Clare Maguire, Cold Cave, Cold War Kids, Crystal Castles, CSS, Cults, Cut Copy, Daedelus, Death From Above 1979, Delorean, Delta Sprirt, DJ Hype, DJ Kentaro, DJ Marky, DJ Zinc, Duck Sauce, Duran Duran, EE, Elbow, Electric Touch, Eliza Doolittle, Ellie Goulding, Emicida, Empire of the Sun, Erick Morillo, Erykah Badu, Excision, Fat Freddy’s Drop, Fedde Le Grand, Fistful of Mercy, Flogging Molly, Foals, Foster the People, Francis and the Lights, Freelance Whales, fun., G.Q., Gayngs, Glasser, Gogol Bordello, Good Old War, Gord Downie, Goth Trad, Green Velvet, Gypsy and the Cat, HEALTH, Here We Go Magic, High Contrast, Hurts, Interpol, Jack Beats, Jack’s Mannequin, Jakes, Jenny and Johnny, Jimmy Eat World, Joachim Garraud, Joy Orbison, Kanye West, Kele, Kings of Leon, Klaxons, Kode9, Kyle Hall, Laidback Luke, Leftfield, Lightning Bolt, Lil’ B, Lorn, Los Bunkers, Magnetic Man, Mariachi El Bronx, Marina and the Diamonds, Mary Anne Hobbs, MEN, Menomena, Monarchy, Mount Kimbie, Moving Units, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Mumford & Sons, Nas & Damian Marley, Neon Trees, New Pants, Nosaj Thing, OFF!, OFWGKTA, Omar Rodriguez Lopez, One Day as a Lion, Ozomatli, Paul van Dyk, Phantogram, Phosphorescent, PJ Harvey, Plan B, Ramadanman, Raphael Saadiq, Ras G, Ratatat, Riva Starr, Robyn, Roska, Rye Rye, Sander Kleinenberg, Sasha, SBTRKT, Scala & Kolacny Bros., Scissor Sisters, She Wants Revenge, Shpongle, Skrillex, Sleigh Bells, Steve Angello, Sven Vath, Take, Tame Impala, Terror Danjah, Thao and the Get Down Stay Down, The Aquabats, The Black Keys, The Chemical Brothers, The Drums, The Felice Brothers, The Henry Clay People, The Joy Formidable, The Kills, The London Suede, The Love Language, The Morning Benders, The National, The New Pornographers, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, The Presets, The Radio Dept., The Rural Alberta Advantage, The Strokes, The Swell Season, The Tallest Man on Earth, The Twelves, Thunderball, Tinie Tempah, Titus Andronicus, Tokimonsta, Trampled by Turtles, Trentemoller, Twin Shadow, Two Door Cinema Club, Warpaint, Wire, Wiz Khalifa, Yacht, Yelle and Zed Bias.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Simone Felice The Communion Launch in Brooklyn January 9
Simone is recording his Solo debut and will be touring this spring.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
